Now, sometimes Bhagavad-gītā is misinterpreted that this battle, I mean to say, dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra means "this body." We do not misinterpret in that way. There is no question of misinterpretation. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change by our whimsical imagination, concoction. We do not interpret the words of the Bhagavad-gītā according to our own desire. No. Actually, from literary point of view, interpretation is required when things are not understood very clearly. The interpretation required. In the law court, when the lawyers try to interpret before the judge, when the terms are not very clear... That is the same way, in, in, amongst the associates and society of learned scholars. Interpretation is not required when the things are very clear. Just like the sun, sunshine, sunlight. There is no need of a lamp to show the sun. The sun is self-effulgent. It is already there. Light is there. Why one should take a lamp to show the sun? This misinterpretation has killed the spirit, the real essence, of Bhagavad-gītā.
We do not change
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 4
Thus mental absorption in social, political, pseudoreligious, national and communal consciousness is cause for bondage. During one's lifetime one has to change his activities in order to attain release from bondage. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (3.9). Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ. If we do not change our consciousness in this life, whatever we do in the name of social, political, religious or communal and national welfare will be the cause of our bondage.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So if you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that is mad-āśrayaḥ. But if you interpret Bhagavad-gītā according to your rascal imagination, that is not Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is called mad-āśrayaḥ, "under My protection, as I am tea..." We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. Why should you change? What right you have got to change? If Bhagavad-gītā is a book of authority, and if I make my own interpretation, then where is the authority? Can you change the lawbook according to your interpretation? Then what is the meaning of that lawbook? That is not lawbook. You cannot change. Similarly, if you accept Bhagavad-gītā as the book of authority, you cannot change the meaning. That is not allowed. What right? If you have got some opinion, if you have got some philosophy, you can write in your own book. Why you are, I mean to say, killing others and yourself by interpreting Bhagavad-gītā? You give your own thesis in a different way. But these people, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret in a different way according to their own whims. Therefore people do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difficulty. And the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And all the so-called scholars' and politicians' commentary is to banish Kṛṣṇa or to kill Kṛṣṇa—the Kaṁsa's policy. The Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him. This is called demonic endeavor. So that will not help you.
This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is the most topmost humanitarian activities, to give them information that in this life... What we are informing? The same thing as Kṛṣṇa is, Kṛṣṇa is informing. We don't manufacture any ideas. That is not our business. Therefore we present this Bhagavad-gītā as it is. As it is. We don't change it. Why we shall change? We are not greater authority than Kṛṣṇa. Whatever Kṛṣṇa has said, that is perfect. Why shall I change it? There are many rascals. They change the meaning, the interpretation, but that is misleading. You cannot change. Everything is very clear. Just like you do not require a lamp to show the sun. The sunshine itself is quite bright to see sun. If body says, "I have brought lamp. You can see," this is nonsense. So Bhagavad-gītā is so perfectly illuminated that anyone can understand without any very advanced knowledge, simple knowledge.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not give you anything which is not in the śāstra. He's ācārya, although He's God Himself. He can make śāstra. Whatever He does, whatever He speaks, that is śāstra. But still, because He's playing the part of ācārya, He immediately gives Vedic evidences. That is the way of ācārya. Ācāryas will never say, "I think." "It is in my opinion." No. Such things are not accepted. No personal opinion. It must be supported by Vedic evidences. That is called paramparā system, genuine system of understanding. As Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). No change. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. We have no power to change. Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? I am a third-class man, and if I change the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? That is going on.
Now we have to accept knowledge from Vedas, Vedic knowledge, not this rascal's knowledge. Rascal knowledge is that "Yes," as soon as he comes to the imperfect point, "yes, we are trying." You are trying. What is this trying? Trying means that your knowledge is imperfect. And another rascal will come, he will say, "Now here is the perfect." And ten years after, another rascal will come," No, this is not perfect. This is perfect." This is going on. This is called scientific advancement. This is... Advancement means... But we don't change our Vedic knowledge. We do not say, "Now, Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago, said like this. Now we are advanced. We change this line."
Five thousand years ago Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other religious principles. Simply surrender unto Me." We are preaching the same thing. No change. No change. There is no possibility of change. Then how Kṛṣṇa is authority? So change means imperfect knowledge. This very change. And perfect knowledge... You will find that one who is very experienced medical practitioner, he gives you a prescription, and you visit him again and again, he gives you the same prescription unless you are cured. His prescription is so nice that he doesn't change. But a nonexperienced physician, every time you go, he will change the prescription. But actually, those who are experienced, he knows "This is the disease, and ultimately this medicine will cure. So let him repeat that medicine." So our is that platform. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). We repeat only. We don't change: "Now hari-nāma is not curing so let me add, instead of Hare Kṛṣṇa, 'John Kṛṣṇa,' if I may." No. No "John Kṛṣṇa." (laughter) That same Hare Kṛṣṇa must be repeated. And you will be cured. So change means imperfect knowledge. No change means that is perfect knowledge. So we follow that no change policy. No, not that because I think I have become now advanced, I change this to that. That mean I am not advanced. My knowledge is imperfect. Therefore I am changing.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is propagating that to serve Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present He demanded that "You surrender unto Me," and we are preaching, "You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." What is the difference? There is no difference. So the same thing, what was spoken five thousand years ago by Kṛṣṇa personally, we, Kṛṣṇa cons..., we, Kṛṣṇa conscious men... Because we are known in the world as Hare Krishna People. They write in the newspaper, "The Hare Krishna People." So our preaching is the same. We don't change. We present, therefore, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Kṛṣṇa says that everyone should surrender unto Him. We are preaching the same philosophy, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). We say the same thing. We ask everyone that "You become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You think of Kṛṣṇa constantly. You worship Kṛṣṇa. You offer you obeisances unto Kṛṣṇa." So this is favorable. If we preach what Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago, that is favorable. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To act in favor Kṛṣṇa means Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
General Lectures
To serve māyā means to continue this material existence one after another. Now I've got this body, you've got this body, and if we do not change our attitude to serve Kṛṣṇa, then we get again next body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: He says, "I can only gaze with wonder and awe at the depths and heights of our psychic nature."
Prabhupāda: Psychic nature means so long you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious there will be varieties of psychic nature, because we are changing constantly to different bodies by transmigration. So we, we are accumulating varieties of experiences. But if we don't change, remain fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then one identification we have got—that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Him." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73), as Arjuna realized after studying Bhagavad-gītā. "Yes," naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā. "Now I have revived my real consciousness and I will act as You dictate." That is final.
Hayagrīva: The third type of rebirth listed is called resurrection. Now there are two types of resurrection. He says, "It may be a carnal, that is gross, material body, as in the Christian assumption that this body will be resurrected." That is the Christian doctrine, is that at the end of the world the..., somehow or other, through the miracle of God, the gross body will reassemble itself and ascend into heaven or descend into hell. Somehow survival of the gross body. He says, "On a higher level..."
Prabhupāda: And what he will do in the meantime?
Hayagrīva: I don't know what happens...
Devotee: (indistinct)
Hayagrīva: ...what happens to the material elements. The material elements disintegrate, disintegrate...
Prabhupāda: The material body...
Hayagrīva: They're distributed in nature.
Prabhupāda: ...it finishes, but of course this idea can be maintained. In the higher sense, that is not gross body; that is spiritual body. That is applicable to God and special representative of God, not to all. Then that is not material body; that is spiritual body. Means when God appears He appears in His spiritual body. It does not change. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that millions of years ago He spoke to the sun-god, and Arjuna questioned, "How it is to be understood that millions of years ago You spoke it?" So He said that "Yes, I did. You were also present, but you do not remember. I remember." So how it is possible? One who does not change the body, He can remember. Just like when we do not change the body, I can remember, but when we change body we do not remember. This is the principle. So this resurrection, I do not know what the exact meaning, but as to the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, Kṛṣṇa said, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). He comes in His original body, not covered by material body. Therefore, because He has no material body, there is no change.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So why do you deny it when Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the origin. This is My energy"? What is the reason you deny it? What is the reason?
Reporter: Sir, nobody is denying. Only we are trying to comprehend, understand.
Prabhupāda: So there is no question of comprehension. When you see a snake, call it a snake. There is no question of comprehension. This is a fan, everyone knows. When I will say, "This is a fan," everyone understands it. Law of identification. Kṛṣṇa is identifying Himself, that "This is my energy."
Reporter: Let us understand you first of all.
Prabhupāda: I have no personal presentation. I am speaking only what Kṛṣṇa... Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Here is the book, you see. This book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, which we are presenting, and publisher is Macmillan Company, and every year they are printing at least fifty thousand copies. This is for our fifth edition. They are printing this book since 1968. '68, '69, '70, '71, that, I think, I know they have, they are fifth edition, and people are reading it, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Our..., we don't change. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme," and we are saying Kṛṣṇa is the same, Supreme. Even I do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, I am simply presenting what is written in the Bhagavad-gītā.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: We present Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." We present Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa says, "You surrender unto Me." We teach people, "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). We say, "You become Kṛṣṇa bhakta. You offer worship to Kṛṣṇa." We don't change anything. And therefore people are accepting. Adulteration, how long it will go on?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (4): (indistinct-question about why there is a better response to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in foreign countries than in India)
Prabhupāda: The Americans and the Europeans, they are fed up with this material type of civilization. They are... They know that spiritual life is there in India. They understand it. Therefore, any swami goes there, they go round him to take some spiritual instruction. Unfortunately, mostly they go who have no knowledge. They cannot give them right knowledge. So for the time being they may surround them, but after some time they disperse. Because they do not get actually. Because so far Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, now many swamis went there and they preached Bhagavad-gītā also, but not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa for the last hundreds of years. But now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, and people are taking it by hundreds, thousands. So they are after some knowledge, spiritual knowledge, from India, but our so-called swamis, they go, they do not give actual information of the Indian spiritual culture. Therefore they are practically deceived. But this Bhagavad-gītā as it is, we do not change anything. In the Bhagavad-gītā you understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So we are teaching them that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa." So they are accepting.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Brahmānanda: You were asking, "Why is it Sunday, Monday..." So I explained that the sun is the center of the universe; therefore the sun comes first.
Dr. Patel: No, various suns are there. All the stars are the suns of various universes.
Prabhupāda: No, we don't accept that. No. Sun is one.
Dr. Patel: That is the fundamental difference of opinion that we don't go ahead of it, sir.
Prabhupāda: No, why shall I go according to the dictation of the rascals? We are not so rascal.
Dr. Patel: And now we are define who is a rascal.
Prabhupāda: No, rascal is meant, who has no authority. They are changing every day. They are changing. We don't change. These rascals are changing...
Dr. Patel: These fundamentals, sir, cannot be changed.
Prabhupāda: In nineteenth century one theory and twentieth century another theory and then another theory, another theory. This is going on.
Dr. Patel: The truth is not changed but...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, they are changing. You see here... You have not seen that, our Svarūpa Dāmodara's book? He has given: simply changing, simply changing, these rascals. Changing means rascal. He does not know. "It is this. It is this." Another man, "No, no, it is not this. It is this." Therefore all of them rascals.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: They may say. They are themselves fanatics. Who cares for them? If a madman says you are madman, I have to accept? No. He must be a sane man. Then there is some meaning. He is calling me madman, but he is a... If I am blind and if another man, he is blind, he says you are blind, so what is the use?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So is the principle to first prove that they are insane and then afterwards that we're sane, or first to prove that we're sane and then...
Prabhupāda: Our proof is that we are following the sane man's instruction, or sane being, the Supreme Being. There cannot be any mistake. Therefore, we are sane.
Devotee: They say they are also following.
Prabhupāda: No. Therefore, why they are changing? We don't change, millions of years. What Kṛṣṇa said, we are following the same. But they change every year.
Prabhupāda: First of all.... As you say science. What do you mean by science? Can you explain?
Reporter: Well, what the..., the best conclusions of the best people in science.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all right, but what is the best conclusion?
Reporter: Well, rely on their opinions.
Prabhupāda: That is opinion, the opinion is changing. How you can rely? That is not fixed up. So what is this opinion, what is the value of this opinion?
Reporter: Well...
Prabhupāda: You give some opinion, and after some years you change it. So what is the.... How can I rely on your opinion?
Reporter: Would Darwin's theory of evolution and other evolutionary theories...
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be. If it is being changed every year or every ten years, then what is the value of this opinion? There is no value.
Reporter: Well, but religious thought in India has changed over the years too.
Prabhupāda: No. Nothing. We do not change.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Gandhi has said. Bhagavad-gītā should be according to his whims. If you can change the verdict of Bhagavad-gītā, then why you take Bhagavad-gītā? Is that authority? If you..., government gives you some law. If you say, "No, no, I don't like this item. I... It should be like this," then is that law, that "I'll take Bhagavad-gītā..."? All these rascals are doing that. The Cinmayananda, they are now: "I'll change according to my whims." Then where is the authority? If I say that "Girirāja, you go there, to the bank," "No, no, I cannot do this. I can do only this," then where is my authority? (laughs) Just see. These rascals are doing that. We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, no change. We do not change. Anybody seriously reading our book, he'll be liberated. There is no doubt. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That's a fact. If not all books, simply Kṛṣṇa book, if one reads carefully, daily, he is liberated undoubtedly. So how many members you have made?
Correspondence
1975 Correspondence
You mentioned in your letter that you had read many other Bhagavad-gitas before you read mine and that none of them revealed as much to you as Bhagavad-gita As It Is. The reason is because we do not change the actual meaning of the gita at all. Many other commentators due to poor fund of knowledge tamper with the lines of Bhagavad-gita and twist the meaning for their personal motives, but we do not do like that. We present it exactly as it is; without any additions or subtractions. That is perfect in every way and therefore it is actually having a tremendous effect all over the world. The original words of Lord Krishna have unrivalled potency and anyone who is fortunate enough to hear those words and tries to apply them to his life becomes perfect.
| Page Title: | We do not change |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas, Alakananda |
| Created: | 29 of Nov, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=10, Con=7, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 19 |